The invention relates to a housing for a drying device which can be folded in and folded out, comprising a base which is situated on the rear side and can be attached to a vertical support, such as a wall, and with respect to which the drying device can be folded in to form an elongate unit, wing means which are suspended on the base and can be pivoted along a pivot axis directed in the longitudinal direction of the unit between a closed position for covering the folded drying device and an open position in which the drying device can be folded in and out, as well as supporting means for supporting the drying device with respect to the housing.
Such a housing is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,897. This known housing comprises a cabinet which can be hung, for example, on a wall. The front of the cabinet, which comprises a rear wall, side walls and upper walls, is formed by a flat door which can be opened and closed. From the upper wall of the cabinet, a first drying device is suspended which comprises a frame from which a number of bars can be radially extended after the door is opened and the frame is folded back. The lower wall of the cabinet likewise has such a drying device comprising a frame and bars which can be folded out when the door is open.
Although this known housing is suitable for the above-described drying devices, in which the frame is folded out first, followed by the bars, said housing is less suitable for other drying devices. Reference is made to the drying device disclosed by the Dutch patent 1,026,543 comprising a frame with an arm assembly and a cooperating rod assembly. When such a drying device is folded out, its dimensions in both transverse directions increase, as a result of which the initial folding out inside the cabinet is difficult. The increasing transverse dimensions of the drying device may result in the arms colliding with the side walls, and, conversely, folding in may also lead to problems.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a housing for a drying device which can be used more generally, and in which folding in and folding out of a drying device when the housing is open does not result in problems. Said object is achieved by means of the wing means which, in the closed position, extend forwards with respect to the base.